


Your Midnights

by Patata (Claudina)



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Budding Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, revelation universe, these two being kind and gentle to each other is my jam, with slight birthright spoiler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 01:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16336973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claudina/pseuds/Patata
Summary: War took its toll and Xander had to find comfort after a particularly terrifying nightmare.





	Your Midnights

_Your sister is dead because of you._

There was blood everywhere. All that he could see was red, and at the end of his weapon was Elise, impaled, crimson waterfall pouring out of her body where his sword had struck her down. There was too much blood. So much, and why—

Xander wasn’t sure that his lungs were still functioning when he woke up.

It hurt everywhere. War really took its toll. As it went on, situations growing increasingly dire by day, Xander learnt that the second prince of Hoshido was no longer the only one battling nightmares at night. In fact, Xander would be surprised if anyone in this camp was still able to sleep soundly.

Xander groaned and sat up on his cot once he was able to move his heavy bones. Cold sweat dotted his temples and every single muscle in his body fought back at the phantom memory of Elise dying in his dream, her blood on his hands. It hurt too much to move. It hurt too much to stay and ruminate over the bad dream.

Everything just hurt.

He decided that a warm drink might help him. When he was little, Queen Katerina would offer him warm milk before bed, saying that it would help him sleep better. Xander was never sure of its efficacy, but the warm memory he associated with his mother alone would probably help to soothe his tattered soul.

He needed that, he decided. Something to warm him up, to chase away the frost that was left by that cruel nightmare.

He thus made his way to the mess hall. When he reached the building, he was rather surprised to find that the mess hall was lit up at this wee hour of dawn. Either someone forgot to snuff out the torches…or someone was there.

The door creaked open before he could decide whether to press on or to flee. A mess of brunette hair appeared, curtaining off the haggard face underneath. Still, Xander could spot it when the half-hidden pair of eyes flew open in surprise when they saw him.

“Prince Xander?”

It was fortunate that Xander was trained to maintain his composure in all situations. He bowed slightly and offered a reply, “Prince Ryoma. I did not expect to run into you this late at night.”

“I could say the same, Prince Xander.” The high prince subconsciously ran a hand through his hair, sweeping away brunette locks covering his eyes. Xander could see his face better now, including the unmistakable dark circles and sunken cheeks. A dull ache constricted his heart at the pitiful sight.

Must war rob everyone of their joys and health?

He just couldn’t perish the horrifying thought.

“I’m sorry. I just need a drink, and I’ll be on my way,” Xander spoke softly, himself unsure why he had to apologise. Perhaps it was because he felt like he was intruding, like he had no right to see Ryoma looking so unkempt. At any rate, his own mind was still in tatters from the shock his nightmare had delivered, and even though his composure hadn’t betrayed him yet, he truly was not in form to handle complicated conversations.

What he didn’t expect was for Ryoma to reply just as softly, “Would you like me to ask Sakura for one of her sleeping tonics? You look like you could use that.”

Xander could feel his body stiffen at the suggestion and he desperately prayed to the deities above that Ryoma had not noticed that. He certainly didn’t want to be taken as ungrateful when the other prince offered a kind assistance, by inconveniencing his little sister, the princess, no less.

“If you require, I believe she even has one that could render your sleep dreamless,” Ryoma added, and then a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so forward. I do, however, know a thing about two about nightmares. My own little brother has been afflicted by them for so long.”

Xander couldn’t help but smile a little, even if he was sure that it must have looked rather askew. “Don’t worry about it, Prince Ryoma. I do appreciate the thought.”

Ryoma visibly relaxed at that. “Then, shall I retrieve it from my sister?”

It was tempting, but the thought of having to awaken the young princess at such ungodly hour made Xander flinch inside. He decided that a warm drink should suffice; the sleeping tonic could wait another night. “Thank you for the offer, Prince Ryoma, but I’d hate to wake her up at this hour. I shall just get something warm from the kitchen for now. I would love to try the tonic another night, though,” he declared.

The Hoshidan prince solemnly nodded. “As you say, Prince Xander.”

There was silence between the two after that. Xander wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to excuse himself now; was the conversation finished or was Prince Ryoma just thinking of what to say next?

His doubts were quickly quelled.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

Xander hadn’t expected such bold proposition from the other prince, his subconscious perhaps still believing Ryoma to be the sworn enemy who would never enjoy his company. Indeed, it was only last month that they pointed blades at each other, eager to let each other’s blood crust their sacred weapons. The thought alone made Xander shudder again. The fresh image of Elise’s blood coating Siegfried resurfaced, and when he inadvertently imagined Ryoma to be in Elise’s place, his blood ran cold within his veins. He must have lost colours from his face because Ryoma looked truly uncomfortable by his reaction.

“I’m sorry if that was a rather daring request. I understand that we’ve not been amicable for long, and—”

“Don’t be. It just reminds me of the nightmare I just had…” Xander quickly cut in, unwilling to let seeds of doubt take roots in Ryoma’s mind. He would hate that. He would hate the possibility of Ryoma thinking that he didn’t enjoy the Hoshidan’s company.

Because he did.

And the thought of Ryoma getting hurt, the thought of him bleeding and dying, scared him just as much as the thought of his siblings suffering.

Must have been the mysterious ways of fate.

“All right, then. Shall we?”

Xander nodded, walking through the door that Ryoma held open for him. His eyes caught the other prince’s, brown orbs no longer covered by his unruly hair, and Xander felt his lungs forget how to function again, albeit in a rather pleasant way. He saw Ryoma’s eyes soften curiously, causing warmth to slowly creep to his cheeks.

How was it that he ever considered this person the enemy again?

When he saw a small smile on Ryoma’s face, it was then that he decided that Prince Ryoma was a preferable company, so much that he thought that the warm drink might not be that necessary after all.

It was a foolish thought, one that made Xander’s insides twist, but in the best possible way: _must have been the mysterious ways of love._

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from Taylor Swift's New Year's Day. I find it to be rather beautiful: _I want your midnights/But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day._ There's something about having someone who stays with you through all the highs and the lows. Xander and Ryoma deserve just that.
> 
> Also, I'm a very, very tired person (who still needs her Ryoumarx fix) nowadays so please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Thank you for stopping by and reading <3


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